Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Better Than Gold was written by Patricia Rabin.

When gold seeker Edward Jackson set out for California during the great gold rush in the U.S.,

his diary entry on May 20, 1849, lamented his grueling wagon journey, marked by disease and death.

Oh, do not leave my bones here, he wrote.

If possible, let them lay at home.

Another goldseeker named John Walker penned, It is the most complete lottery that you can imagine.

I cannot advise any person to come.

Walker, in fact, returned home and succeeded at farming, ranching, and state

politics. When a family member took Walker's yellowing letters to the American TV program

Antiques Roadshow, they were valued at several thousand dollars, said the TV host, so he did get something valuable

out of the gold rush, the letters. Even more, both Walker and Jackson returned home

after gaining wisdom that caused them to take hold of a more practical life.

Consider these words about wisdom from King Solomon in Proverbs 3.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, she is a tree of life to those who take hold of her.

A wise choice is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold, making wisdom more precious than any earthly desire.

Long life is in her right hand, and all her paths are peace.

Our challenge, therefore, is to hold tight to wisdom, not shiny wishes. It's a path

God will bless. Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Proverbs 3, verses 13 through 18.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable

than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies.

Nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand. In her left hand

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